manga artist Kirito

It's true. Whether it was my thought two years ago or one year ago, it's all true. There's no falsehood in it.

But if we discover it too late and miss it, that would be quite tragic.

...And it seems that people subtly dislike me?

This is probably the most unpleasant news we've heard recently.

"You think too much."

With a disdainful expression, Akane Kosaka shook her head slightly.

Mr. Kiritani Kazuto looked at Yukinoshita Haruno with some confusion.

Yes, Kirito had absolutely no idea what Yukinoshita Haruno's feelings were going through at that moment.

PS:

You are my greatest and most wonderful encounter!

That sentence... well, someone said it to me a couple of days ago, and it made me really happy.

525

[NO.516 I might be experiencing writer's block]

silence

Kiritani-chan lowered her eyes, her usually deep and sharp gaze now appearing somewhat lifeless.

I am restless and uneasy.

Yes, I have concerns.

He was analyzing Xigua's expression and Yangnai's smile, but he couldn't get their true thoughts.

Finally, he spoke in a low voice—"Shall we...go for kaiseki cuisine?"

Yes, Kiritani-chan is just thinking about what to eat for dinner. Don't think that's unimportant. As Mark said, although Xun-ge doesn't usually like to eat vegetables, he often thinks about whether tomatoes count as fruit and whether to cut down the fruit tree in front of the door. What the hell is he talking about?

Making choices is difficult.

This applies to any choice you make.

Kiritani-chan faces many choices, such as now and when she watched the movie before.

It seems that Ichigo has already retreated? Or perhaps she is still making other preparations, but I haven't seen Ichigo and Ayane since meeting Haruno. They've probably gone to do something else.

Now, Yukinoshita seems a little unhappy, her spirits aren't as high as before, or rather, she seems preoccupied.

"How about we go to a restaurant for couples? I saw one this afternoon that had a half-price discount for couples."

"...So, who's in a relationship with whom? Are you suggesting we all three of us are?"

Akane Kosaka was slightly taken aback at first, then realized what she meant and smiled meaningfully, especially when she looked at Haruno, "Haruno, you've changed a lot lately."

Before, you were rarely evasive in your speech, but never to this extent, with all these implications. Has something happened? Oh no, is it... that you feel I'm becoming a bigger threat, or that you think you're falling too far behind?

"Companionship is the longest-lasting affection and the most powerful weapon. No one can really ignore the people around them so easily"—this is the opening line that Kiritani-chan once wrote in a certain work. Akane Kousaka likes this sentence very much and also feels that it is Kiritani-chan's inner thoughts.

Therefore, she is quite stable!

"Really? I don't feel anything."

Yukinoshita Haruno looked at Kiritani-chan with a smile, "I just wanted to ask if this cute and handsome gentleman would do me the honor of having dinner with me."

Kiritani-chan is no stranger to big storms; she stopped using such phrases three years ago. Although Akane Kosaka is here now, she feels a little uncomfortable, especially since she has a feeling that if she shows off her skills in front of Sushi, she will suffer the consequences when she gets home.

"Of course!"

Kiritani-chan flashed a bright smile. "I'm craving ramen, tonkotsu ramen. Do you know where there's a good place?"

"When it comes to tonkotsu ramen, the best is probably in Hakata... but there's also a good one in Chiba, I often go there with a friend."

Hmm, I have a strange sense of déjà vu. It's like I often went to that ramen stall with you, and Shizuka was there too... Is this an illusion left by a shift in the timeline?

Kiritani-san, who seemed about to say something but then hesitated, looked at this guy with a subtle expression. "Damn it, this is Kyoto! Don't tell me it's somewhere else!"

Yang Nai pursed her lips and gave a slightly sour hum, "Yes... there's one at the fireworks display tonight."

They are currently located in the city center, and Kabukicho is said to be not far from here... Ahem, it's already evening, and there are still about two hours until the fireworks show at 8 pm. If they really want to go there, it won't take much time, which is just right, since Kiritani-chan had already promised to go see the fireworks with Sushi.

Now, there's just one more Yang Nai.

"Well, if that's the case..."

Pulling on Xigua's sleeve, Kiriko-chan started to act cute. Although her face turned red and her expression was calm, the way she gently shook Xigua's sleeve was super kawaii!

When Izumi is serious, Kiritani-chan is completely helpless, but if Kiritani-chan uses a little bit of cuteness, Izumi will completely give in to him—Haruno, after all, no one can do anything about her.

In that sense, Yang Nai seems surprisingly powerful.

…………

Fireworks can't just be set off in the city center.

The ramen in Kyoto is indeed very good.

"For tonkotsu ramen, the noodles should be a little firmer."

For men, being soft is useless; what matters is being tough, in every aspect.

However, when it comes to ramen, it's easy to think of Koizumi's ramen-loving friend.

"The ramen here comes in big bowls, I'm worried I won't be able to finish it. How about you and I share a bowl?"

With a gentle blink, Yukinoshita Haruno made a suggestion that was quite abusive—well, it was a bit much for Suika, since they were doing it in person!

Have a look at a Minotaur in person!

Akane Kosaka naturally didn't want to be outdone. Rather, she was the one who used to do this kind of thing. When did it become Haruno's turn to steal it?

"People have big appetites, so that little bit is definitely not enough."

Okay, okay, whatever you say goes!

Kiritani let his long hair down and tied it back up, but at a much lower angle than usual. He tucked the strands of hair that had fallen across his face behind his ear, gently blew on the ramen noodles, and then Haruno picked up a piece of shrimp and brought it to Kiritani's lips. "Want to try some?"

"Aww!"

Without much thought, Kiritani-chan opened her mouth and took it in.

Not good!

This is extremely bad!

Watching Kiritani-chan chew her food, Haruno thought she looked just like a little hamster, so cute!

I'm going to be smitten by this guy sooner or later! What am I going to do? Just looking at him makes me feel full without even eating!

Of course, I mean being so beautiful that you can't eat it, not so ugly that you lose your appetite. Anyone who dares to say that Kiriko-chan is ugly, I'll smash their head in!

"That's enough for you two."

Akane Kosaka's eyebrows twitched incessantly. No matter how she looked at it, she felt that Haruno was doing it on purpose. Had she not done anything to hurt her in a long time, so Haruno was pushing her luck?

However, at that moment, her clothes were tugged...

If it were any other woman, she would definitely feel a bit awkward in this situation, but Akane Kosaka was different; instead, she just smiled helplessly.

Finally, he picked up a piece of meat and brought it to Kiritani-chan's lips...

Yes, it's a matter of sharing the spoils equally, a perfectly normal practice.

It would be better to do nothing at all; otherwise, Xigua's mood will definitely be a bit awkward.

PS:

Yes, yes, I'm stuck in slump!

It's a really serious one! You know, I was going to write a romance novel about watermelon, but something just doesn't feel right. Why is that?

I think I need to brush up on my dog ​​food knowledge, could you please provide some resources...?

526

【NO.517 Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs"】

[Well, things aren't as simple as you think. I'm still single, and online dating... isn't all that great, you know? I'm just happy that someone would say that to me.]

In Kyoto at dusk, it would be quite lovely to stroll along streets strewn with fallen red maple leaves under the setting sun, leisurely walking past old-fashioned houses on both sides. Although it doesn't have the idyllic feeling of cherry blossoms falling in March, there is only the feeling of winter approaching and snow about to fall.

Unfortunately, the season wasn't quite right.

Wandering aimlessly, the three of them walked slowly along an unfamiliar road, each experiencing different moods, which slowed their pace. Perhaps the road they could walk together was not long, so they cherished this road that would eventually come to an end.

Kiritani-kun is actually very clear about Yukinoshita Haruno's feelings for him. He can clearly feel that every time they meet, Yukinoshita Haruno reveals her true feelings of longing. Rather, although Kiritani-kun hates Yukinoshita Haruno's usual hypocrisy, Yukinoshita Haruno rarely hides her feelings from him.

...When people have free time, they tend to think about all sorts of random things.

Kiritani scratched his head. "When was it?"

When did you start caring about it?

Liking someone inevitably starts with some characteristic of that person. There's no such thing as disliking someone without a reason, just as there's no such thing as liking someone without a reason... Well, it can't be because I'm gentle, right? -- Okay, the word "gentle" doesn't apply to me. Rather than that characteristic, my appearance is more accurate. At least I'm quite confident in my own appearance.

So... what about watermelons?

"I'm going to the convenience store to buy something. You guys go ahead and I'll come find you later."

"Well, go and come back quickly."

Without saying anything about stopping to wait for him, Akane Kosaka and Haruno Yukinoshita continued walking forward.

From the beginning until now, Kiritani-kun has been lost in his own world. Although Akane Kousaka and Haruno Yukinoshita don't know what he's thinking, they can tell from his occasional furrowed brows that he's quite troubled. In that case, they'll give him a little more space.

As for whether you'll be unable to find them later... getting lost is indeed possible, but you can see their location on your phone, so there's no need to worry.

"Xiaoqian, tell me... what are your thoughts on this?"

Her steps became slightly lighter. Yukinoshita put her hands behind her back, tilted her head and looked at her former best friend. Although they were still friends, she was now being called a rival in love. But there was nothing she could do about it.

If I lose, then I can only be a friend, appearing at the right time as before, occasionally causing him some trouble to spice up his life, but I can't appear too often, after all, that would be annoying—ah, it seems like that's how it used to be.

But becoming a friend who carries even a little weight in his life is still hard to satisfy... Watching him get married must be very painful.

No matter how composed she may seem, she is still a young girl at heart. Those feelings are just suppressed in her heart, not completely absent.

"I do not know."

As if she had returned to her former self, with a touch of languor amidst her strength, Akane Takasaka turned her head to look at the street, then found a spot where she could see the setting sun and leaned against it. The sky was gradually darkening, and soon it would be completely dark. After that, she would probably be able to see the beautiful fireworks that every girl looks forward to.

"It would be strange if I knew. Yes, I have spent the most time with him, without a doubt. But people usually seem to rarely think deeply about things and are mostly in a state of flux. It is difficult to ascertain his thoughts."

Perhaps thinking of something, Akane Kosaka's lips curled up slightly, a beautiful smile playing on her lips, her pretty eyes gleaming with a soft light. "There's no rush. If you're too anxious and concerned, it'll easily bother him, like he did just now."

As she spoke, she stretched her hand out from her slightly long sleeve, feeling the increasingly damp temperature. "It's going to snow."

"This is not good news."

Yukinoshita leaned against Akane Kousaka's side, "But to be honest, Akane really does think a lot more than I do."

"You tend to overthink things, just like you make plans before you do anything."

"No."

With a lighthearted expression, Yang Nai's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sweet smile that brought warmth to the cold winter.

"But honestly, there must be very few people like us, right?"

"Probably, but to be honest, I do care about it."

"I care too! No, if I said I didn't care, that would be a real lie, wouldn't it?"

Yukino looked up at the dim sky. "Unlike you, every day is a brand new day. The first person you see every day is the person you like. You can understand that feeling, right? I also want to be able to see him every day as soon as I open my eyes. Chiba and Tokyo may not be far apart, but longing cannot easily cross such a distance. It always seems a bit far away."

Perhaps, even though we've just met, the longing hasn't lessened much. I want him to address me in a gentle tone, instead of calling me by my name every time we meet. Gentleness may come occasionally, but it's hard to feel truly satisfied... Ah, it would be strange if I were easily satisfied, wouldn't it? After all, I'm such a possessive person.

I have no resistance to him and I always want to get close to him.

But he rarely flirted with me...

Her eyes blinked slightly as she looked at the sky, her expression gradually becoming dazed. The sounds and sights around her seemed to fade away, and the still somewhat naive and young figure in her memory gradually became clear. The hazy moonlight emanating from the rising new moon easily carried away the girl's thoughts.

Looking back on our first encounter at that bustling, lively party, that perpetually lazy boy...

Looking back, the boy who spoke softly in the coffee shop

Looking back, the boy who never lost out among the adults...